# Do you think being cynical is a bad thing? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 23, 2012, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671 "2012-04-23T06:36:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/1 "2012-04-23T06:36:09Z")
This comes from a discussion I had with a friend tonight. I called her cynical and she took it as a bad thing, although I didn’t necessarily mean it as a bad thing. I was more impressed by it. Sometimes I wish I was more cynical. As it is, I feel I’m too nice and innocent-minded and it leads to being taken advantage of sometimes. I seems like the word “cynical” has a bit of a negative aspect/feeling/sound around it, though…but I don’t know… …I think being cynical could have some pretty good advantages in the long run. ---
**Author:** ![Molotok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Molotok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Molotok)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/2 "2012-04-23T06:39:24Z")
I think it’s bad if you’re cynical about everything, or in general. But I think it’s good (necessary?) to be cynical about certain things. ETA: I think scepticism is a healthier approach for general things. ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/3 "2012-04-23T06:44:44Z")
Well, it’s [not exactly a compliment](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/cynical?s=t). It does denote a certain unwillingness to consider that people might have good, or at least innocent motives. It’s unflattering both in and of itself and because, in general, people who are unable to consider that other people mean well don’t mean well themselves. Maybe “skeptical” would have been a better way to go. ---
**Author:** ![houseclearance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eb8c5e/32.png) [@houseclearance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/houseclearance)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/4 "2012-04-23T07:44:46Z")
Actually, cynical connotes bad meaning and I agree skeptical is better approach than cynical. ---
**Author:** ![Covered\_In\_Bees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ab992/32.png) [@Covered\_In\_Bees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Covered_In_Bees)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/5 "2012-04-23T08:38:00Z")
It has negative connotations, but I don’t see it as a bad thing. Especially since I know I am cynical. It becomes a bad thing when you get to the extreme end of the spectrum (just as being too trusting is a bad thing), where you don’t trust a damn thing anyone says or does for fear or belief they have ulterior motives. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/6 "2012-04-23T09:33:04Z")
I’ve got to agree that skeptical is what you might aspire to be. My SO was truly cynical at the worst of his depression, it was not good. It’s like constant skeptical of everything with mean derision thrown in. It’s good for some, rare, situations, like when people come up with some sort of terrible plan. Be cynical then. Not in general. ---
**Author:** ![Ken001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/43a26b/32.png) [@Ken001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ken001)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/7 "2012-04-23T09:36:44Z")
IMHO cynicism is negative and destructive. Even scepticism has its downside because there is an implied judgement that a staement must be wrong. I prefer curiousity and questioning as the best approach and keeping an open mind. I often receive saccharine beauteous emails from a friend - you know the stuff - homilies on friendship, being good, puppies, and flowers. Mostly I delete them in disdain but occasionally I stop and consider the content. There is no harm or nastiness being communicated indeed quite the opposite. So what’s wrong with being nice and wishing good for others? My cynicism evaporates and the world seems a better place for a while. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/8 "2012-04-23T10:19:59Z")
Thanks to boards like this one, the meaning for cynical has been rather blurred. Instead of indicating “distrusting, derisive jerk” it has come to indicate “cool, snarky, skeptic.” I am as guilty as anyone, but of late I am having real doubts about the microculture of this board and similar ones. We seem to value some of the wrong things and our language is shifting because of it. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/9 "2012-04-23T10:43:29Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Thanks to boards like this one, the meaning for cynical has been rather blurred. Instead of indicating “distrusting, derisive jerk” it has come to indicate “cool, snarky, skeptic.” Aside: I don’t think the meaning is shifting because of boards like this - any language used by living people will see shifts in meaning. But back to the OP’s topic, this actually came up fairly recently (sometime in the last year) in a conversation with someone. They referred to me as cynical and didn’t intend the negative meanings. I questioned him on it, and it turns out that the intention was skeptical, but I heard the dictionary meaning of cynical. I’m glad I asked, because I would have been very concerned about the impression people had of me! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/10 "2012-04-23T10:47:56Z")
Cynicism bad? What kinda question is that? And what kinda person would ask such a thing?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/11 "2012-04-23T10:58:56Z")
> [@Covered\_In\_Bees](#): > > It has negative connotations, but I don’t see it as a bad thing. Especially since I know I am cynical. See, this was me too. I consider myself to be cynical somewhat. Not a whole lot, but I’ve definitely grown more cynical with age and in recent years. I know, I know..I said I was innocent-minded in the OP–and I still am–but I was severely that way about 5-6 years ago. I like to think I’ve grown more cynical over time and I see that as a good thing. So my saying “Wow, a bit cynical, eh?” to my friend was meant to be more of a note of being impressed and maybe, you could say, even as a sort of compliment. So it surprised me when she didn’t take it as a compliment, haha. I know I would have if it had been said to me, though…so that’s probably why I see it as one. ---
**Author:** ![gracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@gracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gracer)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/12 "2012-04-23T11:21:32Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Thanks to boards like this one, the meaning for cynical has been rather blurred. Instead of indicating “distrusting, derisive jerk” it has come to indicate “cool, snarky, skeptic.” I am as guilty as anyone, but of late I am having real doubts about the microculture of this board and similar ones. We seem to value some of the wrong things and our language is shifting because of it. Very interesting observation, I think there is a lot of truth to this. I will try to take note! Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/13 "2012-04-23T12:03:58Z")
I agree that cynical has a negative connotation, but I am cynical and I embrace the label. Half of my work is undoing the messes that optimists make; if more people were a little more cynical, we’d get more shit done. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/14 "2012-04-23T12:46:42Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I agree that cynical has a negative connotation, but I am cynical and I embrace the label. Half of my work is undoing the messes that optimists make; if more people were a little more cynical, we’d get more shit done. I doubt it. Cynics are all about why things can’t be done. They are great predictors of gloom, doom, and failure. They don’t get anything done as a result. Optimists, to use your word though I don’t think it necessarily the correct one in this instance, try things and sometimes fail (to the great schedenfreude of the cynics) but they also sometimes succeed. ---
**Author:** ![Martini\_Enfield](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/martini_enfield/32/11123_2.png) [@Martini\_Enfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martini_Enfield)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/15 "2012-04-23T12:51:46Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I doubt it. Cynics are all about why things can’t be done. They are great predictors of gloom, doom, and failure. They don’t get anything done as a result. Optimists, to use your word though I don’t think it necessarily the correct one in this instance, try things and sometimes fail (to the great schedenfreude of the cynics) but they also sometimes succeed. So what’s the term for someone who doesn’t think something is likely to succeed but is prepared to give it a go anyway? ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/16 "2012-04-23T12:55:43Z")
Using my work as an example, I am trying to set up an office in Afghanistan to implement a foreign aid project. One of my colleagues is an optimist, it doesn’t occur to him that the vendors are all colluding on their bids, that there is wide-spread corruption in the country and that we need to be eternally watchful to make sure we aren’t being taken advantage of. The result of my cynicism? Our office rent is five times lower than a similar office set up by a bunch of naive fools. I’ve never met a smart optimist, they all sit around and think “things will work out.” They don’t realize that things worked out because the non-optimists were busting their asses to get it done. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/17 "2012-04-23T13:01:48Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > So what’s the term for someone who doesn’t think something is likely to succeed but is prepared to give it a go anyway? Open-minded, maybe? Optimist is not the opposite of cynic, in any case. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/18 "2012-04-23T13:04:23Z")
> [@madmonk28](#): > > I’ve never met a smart optimist, they all sit around and think “things will work out.” They don’t realize that things worked out because the non-optimists were busting their asses to get it done. …and so we get to it. The cynic’s belief that those who do not share their cynicism lack intelligence. The true heart of cynicism is arrogance. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/19 "2012-04-23T13:05:51Z")
It’s good to be cynical to an extent. You shouldn’t trust just everything. But too many people consider it a badge of pride to always look at the underside of the coin, and never be optimistic at all. -Cynical optimist ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2012, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671/20 "2012-04-23T13:15:53Z")
being cynical is a form of being cautious and objective. in a world where politics and money have devolved, into how you can get people to believe you through lies, then it is a survival skill. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-think-being-cynical-is-a-bad-thing/619671.md?page=2)